Delaware-based AI-powered respiratory care company Hyfe has partnered with Japan-based Kyorin Pharmaceutical to develop and commercialize its prescription digital therapeutic (DTx) to treat chronic cough in the Japanese market.
Hyfe’s DTx is based on behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST) and uses its cough monitoring technology. The company noted that BCST reduces chronic cough through cognitive-behavioral strategies and improves cough outcomes in up to 87% of patients.
“This is a major step forward in addressing a highly underserved medical condition; by transforming a therapy previously confined to in-person settings, we are dramatically expanding access to millions worldwide who struggle with chronic cough,” said Dr. Peter Small, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Hyfe.
“By combining Kyorin’s extensive expertise in respiratory medicine and our powerful AI, the partnership is creating opportunities for deeper patient engagement, more precise treatment understanding, and improved patient outcomes. Together, we’re taking on chronic cough management and revolutionizing respiratory health care.”
Chronic cough market
Chronic cough is defined as a persistent cough that lasts 8 weeks or longer in adults. It affects about 3-18% of the general adult population, with a study noting that the prevalence of chronic cough increases significantly with age.
Future Market Insight reports that the global market for chronic cough is projected to be worth $17.1 billion by 2033, trailing a CAGR of 6.39%. The South Asian market is estimated to be worth $4.78 billion, accounting for 28% market share by 2033.
Hyfe notes that it’s digital therapeutic “addresses barriers to cough treatment by leveraging AI that unobtrusively monitors cough patterns with 90%+ accuracy on any mic-enabled device”, enabling continuous, real-time tracking and personalized treatment interventions.
The company also noted that BCST has been shown to reduce cough in people with refractory chronic cough and unexplained chronic cough by 41%, significantly higher than any drug available on the market. Despite its positive impact, BCST is only offered in person by under 200 speech language pathologists in the US and very few in Japan.
Hyfe’s DTx aims to bridge this gap by combining BCST with AI-powered cough monitoring to deliver personalized treatment plans on patients’ own mobile phones, empowering patients and providers to better treat the condition regardless of their geographic location.
